Sofus was given a general anaesthetic before the broken canine tooth was removed by one of the country's leading zoological dental consultants.

The operation was successful and Sofus is making a full recovery.
The operation was undertaken by Dr Peter Kertesz, who treats both human and animal patients at his Brook Street Practice.

He and his team travelled to Tynemouth to perform the operation.
Dr Kertesz is the Dental Consultant to London Zoo and has worked with numerous major wildlife establishments around the world.

He has been working on non domestic animals since 1985 including everything from aardvarks to zebras and has travelled all around the world from London Zoo to Hong Kong.

He has his practice in Harley Street London and sees human clients from Monday to Thursday and animals on Friday.

Blue Reef's Anna Etchells said: "Dr Kertesz confirmed that Sofus' injury is a common one for seals and could have happened quite easily, through playing or eating. It happens a lot in the wild as well as in 'protective' environments.

"The concern was the tooth would have become infected and potentially could have become a serious problem for Sofus if it had not been removed.

"As the seals swallow their food whole rather than chew it, the removal of one of his canines will not affect his ability to eat," she added.

The problem was spotted by aquarists during one of their daily health checks on the seals. Sofus has since returned to his giant outdoor home, where he has been welcomed by his old tank mates, and has as healthy an appetite as ever.


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